Greater New Orleans

Filmmaker James Cameron emerges from a submersible after his successful solo dive to the Mariana Trench during the filming of Cameron's 'Deepsea Challenge,' a 3-D film releasing on Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. (AP Photo/National Geographic, Mark Thiessen)
(Mark Thiessen)

People hate James Cameron because he's arrogant. People hate James Cameron because he's a slavedriver. But you know the real reason that people hate James Cameron?

Because he's right.

They told him "Titanic" would have to be the biggest hit in history to turn a profit. It was. They told him "Avatar" would have to break its records to go into the black. It did.

And while you could probably get results through kinder methods, the fact is Cameron gets results.

That's all on view in "James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge 3D," a documentary about the director's other life - as an inventor, explorer and, yes, bit of a thrill addict.

For years he's been obsessed with the ocean deep - as evidenced in "The Abyss," "Titanic" and several filmed expeditions, including one to creep about the wreckage of the Bismarck.

This new film details the construction and deployment of his latest treasure - a highly sophisticated, vertical submarine that he plans to drop, like an arrowhead, to the very bottom of the sea.

Of course, being James Cameron, he plans on being the sole pilot - and taking some cameras with him.

So we get some interesting, albeit too brief, footage of purple octopi, fluttering sea anemones and some creatures so new to us they don't even have names yet.

And we get glimpses of the James Cameron that people love to hate, including his ego (you'd think he designed and built everything himself) and his drive (he doesn't hesitate to chew people out in public).

But, then again: He does get the sub built, and it does work.

Once it does, though - well, not much happens. The crew slips Cameron inside, locks him down, and then tosses him into the water. He sinks to the bottom and takes some pictures. Then they haul him back up again. This is repeated several times more.

While he's down there, Cameron is documenting those remarkable, mostly unknown creatures. And giving us a running commentary on the various gauges, readings and possible life-crushing mishaps lurking just around the corner.

But in the end, the movie seems to be as much about James Cameron as anything else. It's not called "James Cameron's Deep Sea Challenge" for nothing - this isn't just his show, but his test of himself, his smarts, his courage. And now that he's passed, he wants us all to sit and watch him and applaud.

Which I guess is another thing people have against James Cameron - not only his ego, but his demand that it be constantly admired and massaged. Except this time, his critics are kind of right.